Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve 2015-2016 Report
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INTERNATIONAL DARK-SKY ASSOCIATION 3223 N First Ave - Tuscon Arizona 85719-520-293-3198 - www.darksky.org TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT THE NIGHTTIME ENVIRONMENT AND OUR HERITAGE OF DARK SKIES THROUGH QUALITY OUTDOOR LIGHTING International Dark-Sky Association Dark Sky Places Program Annual Report OCTOBER 2016 Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve 2015-2016 Report 1 Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve - 2015 - 2016 The 2015 to 2016 year has seen increasing activity within the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve (AMIDSR). As tourism numbers climb throughout New Zealand, the benefits and impacts can be seen within the Reserve area. The established astro-tourism operators have experienced strong growth especially from international tour groups. This growth has seen increasing demands for accommodation and services. Recent announcements for new hotels, apartments and residential developments are signs of growing confidence that the Reserve is a popular destination for visitors. Specialised accommodation businesses offering personal tours of the night sky are becoming established. The popularity of the AMIDSR has prompted other NZ communities to investigate gaining Dark Sky Place status. Members of the AMIDSR Board are helping where possible. The AMIDSR Board met twice this year with the second meeting on the 30th of September including the 2016 Annual General Meeting held in Twizel. This meeting preceded a Public Forum held in Tekapo where a panel of four speakers addressed topics covering tourism and light pollution. Around 100 people attended the Dark Sky Forum at Peppers in Tekapo on Friday 30th September. The forum was of interest to a wide range of people with attendees including Mackenzie District councillors, operators, children and amateur astronomers. Mayor Claire Barlow began the proceedings in her last official opening as Mayor of the Mackenzie. Jacqui Dean (Member of Parliamnet for Waitaki, filling in for Nicky Wagner) spoke about striking a balance between welcoming visitors to our region whilst preserving our way of life and protecting the environment. Thanks to Peppers and Earth & Sky for sponsoring the event. (See report later) Prior to the Public Forum the AMIDSR Board had the opportunity to meet with senior members of Ngai Tahu Tourism, who from midnght would become 50% partners in Tekapo Based Earth and Sky Ltd. This arrangement will bring tourism expertise, investment and Maori culture to the AMIDSR. This is an exciting and important development. AMIDSR Board, September 2016 2 General Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve Website: www.darkskyreserve.org.nz/ The AMIDSR Board has been registered as a charitable entity, No. CC50892, with the Charities Services, part of the NZ Department of Internal Affairs, and legislated by the Charities Act 2005. The second Annual General Meeting and two ordinary meetings of the Management Board of the AMIDSR were held. Terms of duty on the Board are limited to three years with the opportunity for one repeat term. Two new board members were elected with their terms starting on the 1st January 2016. One of these new members has since resigned his position through a change in employment. Margaret Austin has retired from the Board but has a role as an advisor to the Board for World Heritage matters. Management Board of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve - 2016 Name Affiliation Place of Residence Alan Gilmore Manager of the Reserve; Lake Tekapo AMIDSR Board Secretary Dr Gary Steel Tourism Sector, Lincoln University Christchurch Prof John Hearnshaw Royal Astronomical Society of New Christchurch Zealand (Immediate Past President), University of Canterbury, Chair of AMIDSR Board Assoc Prof Karen Pollard Director of Mt John Observatory, Christchurch University of Canterbury Leigh Stock* General Manager of the Hermitage, Mt Cook Village and Queenstown Mt Cook Cr Murray Cox Mackenzie District Council Lake Tekapo Sally Jones Department of Conservation Twizel Joy Paterson Canterbury Aoraki Conservation Twizel Board & Local Community, Mackenzie Steve Butler International Dark-Sky Association Invercargill Kaye Paardekooper Mt Cook Lakeside Retreat Lake Pukaki *Leigh Stock has resigned his position with the Hermitage and AMIDSR in September 2016 Chairperson’s report 2015 - 2016 The purposes of the AMIDSR Board are: ● to promote the protection of dark skies in the Mackenzie and at Aoraki/Mt Cook ● to promote an appreciation of the night sky, the environment, astronomy and the dangers of light pollution, both within the Reserve and throughout New Zealand. I believe we have been very successful in fulfilling these aims, as shown by the large number of tourists who are coming to the Reserve, many explicitly to see a pristine night sky. Astro-tourism is now one of New Zealand’s top tourist attractions. The Mackenzie has about 1.5 million tourists a year, and Earth & Sky are expecting up to 200,000 customers annually. Many accommodation places in the region mention AMIDSR on their websites, a testimony of the drawing power of the Reserve for their businesses. In early 2016 we amended the constitution of AMIDSR so that we have a NZwide function. This was because Margaret Austin has established a special fund for nationwide dark sky protection, and we needed 3 to be able to advise other Councils and bodies concerned with lighting in places further afield than the Mackenzie District. Our major activity of the year July 2015 to June 2016 has been the Second Starlight Festival (SF2), held in Twizel in October. We estimate that about 300 people participated in some 30 or so events held over three days, but probably a considerably lesser number for any one event. This was still a success, but probably more effective marketing could have produced an even better result. We have started planning for SF3 to be held at Aoraki/Mt Cook the Hermitage 13-15 October 2017 and at this stage three keynote international speakers have been invited and have accepted the invitation. They are Dr Natalie Batalha, a space scientist and astronomer from NASA Ames in California. She is a scientist who has worked on the Kepler satellite and is an expert on extrasolar planets and the search for life. Also Sze-leung Cheung, the director of the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach in Tokyo. He is fluent in Chinese and English and will talk about dark skies protection in both languages. Finally we will have Kevin Govender from Cape Town, director of the IAU Office of Astronomy for Development. He is an inspiring speaker on how astronomy can bring young people into science. On Board membership we have been fortunate to bring three new members to AMIDSR: Joy Paterson as treasurer, Kaye Paardekooper and Leigh Stock. Joy’s term as treasurer will terminate on 31 December as she has taken on additional responsibilities in other areas which will be a demand on her time. Leigh has resigned from the Board following his resignation from the position of Manager of the Hermitage. We therefore have a vacancy for the position of treasurer and one or more vacancies on the Board. My view is that we should look to Earth & Sky, to Big Sky Stargazing and to Ngai Tahu Tourism for people with the commitment to astro-tourism and the Mackenzie District to fill any vacancies, as well as to people who are resident in the Mackenzie who have the expertise and skills we want. As you know, we have the Forum this evening at Tekapo, with four speakers on aspects of night sky protection, astro-tourism and the Reserve. This is our major activity for 2016 and is also part of the Astronomy and World Heritage Initiative established by UNESCO in many countries. In our case, the heritage concerns natural heritage of the night sky and Mackenzie landscapes. Another initiative we strongly support (but did not initiate) is the Starlight Highway proposal for SH8 and SH80. Rebecca Greatrex in Geraldine was the instigator, but we support the proposal, given its excellent marketing potential for the Reserve as a whole. The Board made a submission to the Mackenzie District Council at the beginning of 2016 on their long- term plan for the District. The main points made were that as street lighting in the reserve requires maintenance over the next ten years, then all those lights which do not comply with the lighting ordinance should be replaced with those that do. This is mainly to have full cut-off luminaires and, if LED lights are installed, then to have those with a warm yellow colour. In July we also made a submission to the review of the District Plan, which included recommendations on changes to the Mackenzie Lighting Ordinance to take into account the latest LED technology. Steve Butler, Margaret Austin and I have recently formed a committee to promote a Dark Sky Park in the Christchurch Red Zone. This is one of many proposals for the Red Zone, but actually compatible with many of the others that are promoting various day-time uses for the 450-hectare zone, which formerly had some 6000 houses (now all demolished). Our RZDSP committee is independent of AMIDSR, though it would be excellent if our Board supports it. We have become an auxiliary committee of Greening the Red Zone, one of the projects proposing planning the Red Zone in native bush with walking and cycling tracks. As you know, Earth & Sky has formed a joint venture with Ngai Tahu Tourism to establish an astronomy centre on the Tekapo lakeshore for astro-tourists. The University of Canterbury has donated the historic Brashear 18-inch refractor to the project, which is now being restored. This will be a great opportunity for the Board to have a close future relationship both with Earth & Sky and with Ngai Tahu Tourism. 4 I wish to thank Alan Gilmore for continuing to take sky brightness measurements at Mt John on a monthly basis during new moon.